Applied Communication

examination may be common to all students, while other parts will relate to the individual programs of study of the specific student. Examination committees will consist of the instructor of ACCT 580 and at least one other member of the Graduate Faculty of the School of Business appointed by the program director. For a student to pass the final examination, the majority of members of the examination committee must concur that the student should receive a passing grade.

Students who do not pass the MSA final examination on the first attempt will have one additional opportunity to complete the final examination. A student who fails the final examination on the second attempt will be required to complete additional coursework specified by the program director before attempting the final examination a third time. Students who do not pass the final examination after three attempts will be terminated from the program.

Review the graduation policy for more information.

Business Analytics

Students may opt to complete a specialization in business analytics. To complete the specialization, MSA students must complete eight graduate courses including ACCT 565, ACCT 580, and three additional ACCT courses, plus satisfy the following business analytics requirements:

One course in Quantitative Methods (MBA 521 or ECON/FIN 515) One course in Information Fundamentals (ACCT 561 or ACCT 567) CMIS 566 Introduction to Business Intelligence and Analytics One elective from the following courses: CMIS 563, CMIS 564, ECON/FIN 517, FIN 525, FIN 541, MKTG 548, MKTG 544, MKTG 562, MKTG 563, MKTG 595; CMIS 567 - Business Analytics Capstone (3)

Taxation

MSA students may opt to complete a specialization in taxation. To complete the tax specialization, MSA students must complete the following tax courses:

ACCT 550 Tax Research

ACCT 553 Taxation of Flow-Through Entities

ACCT 556 Personal Tax Planning

ACCT 557 Corporate Taxation

In addition to the required tax courses, students completing the tax specialization must complete the remaining MSA requirements, which include ACCT 580, at least one more accounting elective and four other accounting or non-accounting electives.

Applied Communication

Admission Requirements

Graduate School application and $40 fee Submission of all postsecondary academic transcripts Successful completion of a bachelor's degree prior to enrollment Minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75 International Applicants: Proof of English Proficiency, minimum requirements are TOEFL (79), IELTS (6.5) or equivalent Statement of Purpose: Submit a typed statement (of at least 500 words) about the academic and professional goals the applicant plans to attain through their work in the graduate program Submit two letters of recommendation that discuss the applicant's potential for graduate-level academic work, leadership and interpersonal skills. (If the student is a current student in, or recent graduate of SIUE's Department of Applied Communication Studies, two Reference Forms for Use by Current SIUE Students may be submitted in lieu of the letters of recommendation.)

Program application materials may be uploaded during the application process, but official transcripts must be sent directly from the school attended and test scores must be verifiable with the appropriate testing service. Please contact the Graduate Admissions Office with questions regarding the application submission process at graduateadmissions@siue.edu.

Applicants who do not have an undergraduate degree in applied communication studies or a related field will be required, if admitted to the program, to demonstrate a knowledge of basic communication theory before enrolling in any 500level classes. This demonstration of proficiency may be accomplished by completing, with a grade of B or better, either ACS 330 Theories of Communication, or proficiency examinations based upon the content of this course. Please contact the Department of Applied Communication Studies for information about the proficiency examination procedures.

Review the SIUE Admissions Policy for more information. 33 credit hours Visit the Paying for College website for detailed tuition information

Curriculum

Students must complete at least 33 semester hours for this degree. A foreign language is not required. With approval of the student s advisory committee, up to three hours of graduate-level coursework from outside the applied communication studies curriculum, up to three hours of independent study credits, and up to three hours of 400-level courses, may be applied toward the minimum of 33 hours.

All students admitted to the program are required to enroll in the program core, which consists of two courses (six hours total):

ACS 500 Seminar in Communication Theory ACS 501 Communication Research Methods and Tools

The core courses must be completed with a minimum grade of B the first time they are offered after the student is admitted. Students who fail to meet this stipulation will be restricted from enrolling in any other 500-level courses until the program core requirement is met. Students are also required to declare an area of specialization and complete three required courses in their respective specialization.

Responsibility for the development of the remainder of the student s program of study rests with the student and student s advisory committee. The Department of Applied Communication Studies offers a variety of courses designed to complement the student s academic and professional interests.

Students may choose either a thesis or a non-thesis plan of study. Students who select the thesis plan (thesis or applied project) must declare their intentions by the time they have completed 18 semester hours of graduate work. They will complete a minimum total of 27 hours of coursework. They will confirm their ability to conduct research in applied communication studies by submitting a thesis or applied project for six semester hours of